(AP) – Ukrainian and Russian leaders recently met separately with U.S. President Trump to discuss ways to end the ongoing war, now entering its fifth year. Meanwhile, Russian officials reported a Ukrainian attack on Russian-held Crimea that left one person dead early Sunday.
Sergei Aksyonov, the regional governor appointed by Moscow, shared on Telegram that two additional individuals were injured in the strike in northern Crimea, with one in critical condition. However, specific details about the attack weren’t provided.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified attacks targeting vital infrastructure in Crimea, aiming to isolate this crucial peninsula controlled by Russian forces amidst the conflict’s latest developments.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, and Ukraine’s ramped-up long-range strikes reveal its capacity to inflict significant damage on Russian positions, which, according to Western analysts, have seen little progress lately.
This recent assault occurred following discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin with President Trump regarding the conflict’s resolution.
Zelensky expressed greetings to President Trump via X on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of American independence, mentioning that they spoke about front-line conditions.
“There is a realistic prospect of concluding this war, and the commitment from America will be crucial. We agreed to keep an open dialogue during the NATO meeting in Ankara,” he noted late Saturday.
The Kremlin disclosed that Putin and Trump had a “constructive” phone call regarding the Ukraine situation. Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to the Russian president on foreign affairs, mentioned that the call, lasting almost an hour and a half, was the fourth between the two leaders this year.
Ushakov emphasized that Trump is “willing to help in achieving a swift end to hostilities and finding a peaceful resolution” in Ukraine, adding that Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue mediation efforts, planning a trip to Moscow.
Putin reiterated his inclination towards a diplomatic resolution to the crisis, provided Russia’s “well-known fundamental position” is respected.
Simultaneously, he accused Kiev and its European partners of seeking to extend and escalate the conflict, claiming “Europe’s warring factions” are operating under a misguided understanding of the battlefield dynamics, as reported by Ushakov.
Putin elaborated on the “actual situation on the front,” asserting that Russian forces are advancing and liberating towns consecutively.
He highlighted the seizure of the Ukrainian stronghold Kostyantynivka as a significant move towards the “liberation” of the entire Donetsk region, a claim that Ukraine has disputed.
